A UK Parenting and Lifestyle blog

Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift and Beyonce may be the most followed Instagram accounts, racking up between 80 million and 100 million followers each, but, the top ranking cat accounts aren’t that far behind, and some might say they’re way more interesting anyway (give me a cat’s paw over a camel toe anyday). Cute eyed @nala_cat currently has over 3 million followers and she’s only six. At six I was still trying to figure out if Santa was real or not (FYI he is totally real). Then there’s @realgrumpycat with over 1.9 million followers, and a whole plethora of up and comers with tens of thousands of followers each, a number always growing with each adorable, fluffy, squiggle floof, toe bean laden post.

If you have a kitty that you believe is destined for Insta-fame, you might be wondering how you can get his or her toe beans in bright lights. It sure seems easy, you just post pictures of them right? Wrong. There is more to it than that, and if you truly want to have a go at getting a blue tick for your feline squishy fluffle, then you need to follow these tips:-

Your Cat Is Not That Special On Instagram

We’re sorry, we know it hurts to be told your kitty isn’t the most precious, special kitty out there. He or she sure is to you, but online, reality really will stick its claws in quicker than a cat being carried near running water (oooooooouch!). You will see there are just a crowd, pride, swarm, whatever you want to call it, of cats out there with owners pushing them into the spotlight. So even though you might think any picture of your kitty is adorable, in a sea of floof, they’re barely noticeable (sorry again, it really is like a stab to the heart to hear that isn’t it?).

Your Cat Does Not Need To Be A Looker

Your cat may well be a true stunner and that’s all well and good, but ugly or unique kitties can be valued just as much. @atchoumfan is most famous for looking like a Dr Seuss character, and @pompous_albert is most well known for his angry face. And let’s not forget the original internet famous kitty @realgrumpycat who originally hit the headlines because people just loved his naturally grumpy face. Turns out these precious uglies do have a face not just a mother could love.

You Can Make Your Cat More Interesting With Props

There are only so many pictures of your cat sleeping, playing or looking at you that you can take, which is where props come in. @this_girl_is_a_squirrel is not a cat obviously, but is a great example of how props can be consistently used to make insta-worthy images. Scroll through to see Jill the squirrel holding a paint palette, wearing a scarf, holding a flag – there aren’t ever enough props for this squirrel, and the novelty never, ever wears off (awww look at the ickle squirrel with the -ANYTHING- it’s so cute!).

You Can Make Your Cat More Interesting With Memes & Apps

As above, if kitty is being a bore, you can make her more interesting by using funny pictures of her to make memes, or photoshopping images or videos of her. @moviecats is a cool recent example of how simple photoshopping creativity can create some amazing LOLZ. The account only has six pictures but 36.7K followers… Leaning towards photoshop now? Excellent.

You Cannot Rely On Images Alone

Although your account probably will grow organically over time, you just cannot rely on images alone if you want to be visible online, and get a decent following. Hashtags are a good start to get you noticed in more searches. There are a vast amount of cat related hashtags out there, so do your best to incorporate as many as you can at first, perhaps looking at popular users and the hashtags they use – #cat won’t cut it.

You might also want to get help from popular Instagram marketing companies like Vibbi who can provide personalised Instagram marketing to help your kitties account get a much needed exposure boost. It is romantic to think that your cat alone will get famous on Instagram, but in reality, most people need a little help, especially when it comes to the marketing side.

Be Seasonal & Current

If you get really into a posting calendar, you are going to need to be seasonal and current. Photo shoots with fun seasonal props like pumpkins, Christmas trees and Easter eggs are a great idea, so you have a bank of relevant images to put out there throughout the season. You might also want to respond to current headlines to remain current, perhaps with some funny captions and images related to the news stories of the week, although, it probably isn’t a good idea to be controversial because that can turn people off.

Play Nice

You’re going to have to be really involved to get noticed. It is no good commenting a heart or a kiss or a generic ‘great’ under pictures. Spend time commenting genuine comments under other users pictures, and reply to the comments you get in a genuine and kind way. Follow relevant accounts and take care to interact with the online kitty community. Nobody likes an antisocial and selfish Instagrammer.

Your Mug Is Not Welcome Here

We hate to say it but, humans are not popular in the online kitty world. You might take a picture of you and puss looking super cute smooshing together but, your cats followers will not appreciate it, sorry. If you post a picture of you and your kitty you will cramp their style. Save it for your personal account.

Post Stunning Pictures

Grubby, blurred images with bad lighting are not a good idea and stink of amateur. At the very least use:-

Use good quality lighting like natural non-direct light.

Check the entire image for little details that ruin it, like your toes in the bottom of the picture.

Use a clear picture – people like sharp images.

After that, it really is up to you how deep you go on the photography. As your account grows you might want a better camera and lighting setup – it is a personal choice.

Insta-God Loves A Tryer

You gotta really want this, both of you have. You need to be posting pictures regularly, and your cat needs to be enjoying having the photos taken, or be blissfully unaware, otherwise it won’t be fun for anyone. Think of it as a fun bonding project for you and your cat, and if things get stressful, take a bit of a break, or change it up to make it fun. The priority is your relationship with your cat, and as long as you keep that in your heart, adding creativity, innovation and some ingenuity on top, you’re going to have a beautiful account for your cat that you are proud of and who knows, Insta-fame might just follow.